


Hotel de Noir

by heavybassline



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Dark Fantasy, Exy exists in this AU!, F/F, F/M, Gen, Ghosts/Spirits, Grim Reaper - Freeform, M/M, Reincarnation, hotel del luna! AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21696910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heavybassline/pseuds/heavybassline
Summary: Andrew Minyard thought he had put an end to his biological mother years ago. But now her promise with a presumed drug pimp comes back to haunt Aaron. Like he did before, Andrew must kill this threat to protect his brother.Meanwhile Neil, damned owner of Hotel de Noir, needs to find a replacement for his human hotel manager. Little did he know the Fates had something in store for him.
Relationships: Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 11
Kudos: 43





	1. Mad Man

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the korean drama, Hotel del Luna. I will be keeping grim reaper and the Ma-Go deities as they are.

Cold morning air seeps into the room as Andrew leans against the wall and looks out the opened window, scanning the perimeter outside the dorm. 

Down the corridor of The Monster’s dorm suite is faint, indistinguishable talking. Then comes the noisy sound of a food blender. 

It’s Kevin. _Again_. 

He’s making his morning veggie power drinks. 

Andrew glances at the alarm clock sitting on Kevin’s desk in their room. Silence will come just about....now. 

There is a momentary silence as Kevin analyzes his drink, most likely testing its texture, debating if he needs to blend some more.

Guess not, Andrew muses, listening to the sudden crinkling of newspaper.

“Goddamn it, Nicky. Stop fuckin folding my newspaper,” Kevin grumbles in hushed anger. 

The faint talking becomes more intelligible now as Andrew walks down the corridor. 

“...Back to the Tinker Electronics Scandal. Executive Chairman Donny Chapman is currently being investigated after his sudden peculiar fit during the grand opening ceremony for-”

“Donny Chapman?!” Kevin nearly spits out his power drink. He starts flipping through the newspaper, searching for any articles on the scandal. 

Andrew sinks into a bean bag, staring at the tv with no care in the world. “Didn’t know you were so fond of Donny boy.”

Kevin perks up at the sound of Andrew’s voice, his face turning sour at the question. 

Andrew is now slumped in the bean bag with his head tilted so far back to look at Kevin, it makes Kevin frown. 

“Uh oh,” Andrew says with mock worry. “Is he a friend of yours?” 

“Stop straining your neck. It’s not good for you.” 

“Oh, Kevin. Worry about your own body,” Andrew reminds, flippantly waving a hand. 

Kevin looks down at his once battered wrist Riko stomped on, and thinks of Donny. 

“I don’t know him. I saw him a few times at Evermore in one of the upper wings, so I assumed he does business with the Moriyamas.” 

“Ah,” Andrew says, unperturbed by the revelation. “Another mad man hmm.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Andrew points at the tv. 

“Witnesses say Donny suddenly started panicking in the middle of his speech, screaming that a man with a shotgun had walked into the room to shoot him. We take you to our fellow reporter Nancy with a witness.” 

Kevin absorbs the news with growing confusion. “I don’t understand. The press was there. If someone with a shotgun really did walk into the room AND made their way through the crowd, any camera would have captured them. Even the venue cams didn’t catch anyone with a gun.”

“I told you, didn’t I? Donny boy’s gone mad.” 

Kevin glares at Andrew for the insufficient and absurd reason. 

Andrew taps his temple with two fingers. “We’re all mad here.” 

“Ha ha, very funny,” Kevin responds. “Gosh, it’s like talking to a-”

“A mad man?” Andrew suggests. “Who knows. Maybe the Moriyamas drove him mad?” Andrew taps his temple again, turning his two fingers into a gun this time.

 _POW_ , he mouths. 

“I’m done.” Kevin abruptly stalks off with the bundle of newspaper and his power drink. 

“Stay out of the room. I don't want your shitty drink stinking up the place.” 

“I know that,” Kevin spits back, shoving the newspapers into his exy bag. “And I told you already, stop opening the damn window so early. It’s cold!” 

“It’s my room.” 

Kevin rolls his eyes, his boiling exasperation quickly turning cold at the reminder that Andrew’s providing him refuge from Riko. He remembers the day Andrew told him he’d be sharing a room with Andrew himself. _‘I_ _told_ _you_ _I’d_ _protect_ _you_ _from_ _Riko_. _Don’t do anything dumb.’_

Kevin sighs as he turns away from Andrew. It’s much too early to be thinking about Riko and the Moriyamas. “I’m heading to the den. Don’t be late to practice today.”

The door clicks shut. Andrew hears Kevin’s key twisting in the lock. 

“Why’s he always so bitchy in the morning?” Nicky asks, yawning and stretching his arms as he walks out of his room. “Some of us are trying to sleep.” 

“Kevin’s clearly a morning person,” Aaron remarks, walking past Nicky to get to the kitchen. He starts preparing coffee as Nicky lays a yoga mat down in the living room. 

“I think I’m gonna start doing yoga, guys.” He’s doing a pilate. “Maybe if i do so much yoga, i’ll have even hotter sex. I can’t wait to try new positions with-”

Aaron grimaces, saying, “You’re gross, Nicky.” 

“Oh come on, pull that stick out of your ass,” Nicky responds, a big grin on his face. “We’re all adults here!”

Aaron grabs his mug of coffee and walks back to his room. “Do whatever you want. Just leave me out of it.” 

He shuts their bedroom door with a loud thud and Nicky sighs. “That boy really needs to get laid.” 

“Is that so?” Andrew questions, eyeing Nicky like he‘s considering stabbing him. 

“I’m just kidding.” 

“I hope so.” Andrew gets up and saunters back to his room, leaving Nicky to ponder about his cousins.

Nicky rolls onto his back, suddenly lacking the energy to maintain pilates, and stares at the ceiling. “These boys.”

* * *

“Hmmm,” Neil hums, observing the light shining through the glistening diamonds on his desk. Picking up a diamond with gloved hands, he wonders, “How much money will you get me?”

“I recovered the briefcase,” Stuart says, shutting the large oak doors behind him.

Neil immediately scoots the diamonds off to the side and pats the center of his desk. “Bring it here.” 

Neil unlocks the latches and opens the briefcase. With an appraising look, he mutters, “Perfect. It’s just as the policewoman said. This is certainly Danny’s briefcase.”

He leans back in his chair, flipping through a bundled set of cash. 

“Shall I help you count?” Stuart asks. 

“No, that’s okay. I’m not counting them yet, just checking to see if there’s any marks.” 

“I will check for blood stains later. It is time to send her off.” 

Neil nods, slips off his white gloves, and leads them out of his office. Stuart stops to stare at the wall of pictures to the right of Neil’s desk. Next to a bookshelf is an empty spot on the lower part of the wall.

“What’s with the holdup?” Neil asks.

Stuart simply smiles. “I got distracted.” 

He closes the office doors and hurries after Neil. Together, they stroll through the hotel’s numerous hallways. 

Neil pauses to look at the windows. He follows a trail of sunlight floating in the hallway. Lifting a hand up as if to touch the light, he murmurs, “The light comes in so easily here.”

Stuart nods, reaching a hand out as well. “The sunlight feels warm. I wish you may feel that someday.” 

“I don’t need to.” 

They take the elevator down to the lobby room, where the hotel staff are lined up to greet Neil.

“Good morning, Boss.” 

Neil nods at them in acknowledgement. “Make sure the rooms are prepared for tonight, as usual.” 

They nod and quickly disperse to their work stations. 

Alice, the head of the hospitality department, walks beside Neil as he heads out of the hotel. “The lady has been escorted to the car. We’ll meet the grim reaper at the tunnel.” 

They pile onto the golf cart parked outside by the steps of the hotel, with Stuart driving.

Neil lifts a hand up, signalling a stop, as they approach a tunnel surrounded by trees. There’s a black limousine parked in front of the tunnel. The grim reaper, dressed in black, opens the limo’s door and a woman dressed in a police uniform steps out. 

She waits for Neil, who’s walking to her. 

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to settle my regrets,” the policewoman says. 

Neil looks at her. She’s no longer a bloodied ghost, sickly pale from being drowned in a river, with a bullet wound at the back of her head. 

She looks like a healthy human now, except she’s not human. 

She’s a ghost. 

“It was our pleasure to serve you,” Neil says.

“I hope you enjoyed your stay, miss,” Alice adds, with her hands clasped in front of her. She has the refined posture of an upper class lady. 

“And from Hotel de Noir, we wish you a safe trip to the afterlife,” Stuart says. 

They watch the grim reaper escort her to the tunnel’s entrance. Her figure begins to fade as she progresses deeper into the tunnel. 

Alice turns away first, unable to continue looking at the tunnel. “I absolutely do not want to go there!” 

“All spirits have to eventually,” the grim reaper says. 

“You don’t have to go to the afterlife,” Neil objects. “You can stay here in the living realm.” 

“Lingering spirits are not good. It’s unnatural to the life process,” the grim reaper says. “That is why your hotel exists, Neil.” 

Neil just smiles, baring his teeth. “I was told differently.” 

“Let us return to the hotel,” Stuart interrupts. With a hand on Neil’s back, he ushers Neil to the golf cart. 

Neil shakes off Stuart’s hand and walks with Alice to the golf cart. Stuart trails behind, but stops to give the grim reaper a grateful bow of his head. 

“Thank you for your work, Reaper.” 

The grim reaper doesn’t say anything, and simply watches Stuart join the others.

* * *

“Tch, the reaper’s so annoying,” Neil grumbles, as he enters the elevator with Staurt. 

Stuart shifts topic. “I heard there’s an investigation with Danny Chapman now.”

Neil watches the floor number change, and then laughs derisively. “As expected, considering how he admitted the truth in front of everyone on camera.” 

The elevator dings, doors parting open for Neil, who replays the incident in his head.

Danny Chapman had just finished his introductory speech, welcoming everyone to the new facility and partnership with another big name corporation. He began the next part of his speech when suddenly the doors sprung open, as if someone had kicked them open. 

In walked a man wearing a funeral hat with veils, dark heeled boots, a long coal-black coat, and a silky purple dress shirt with dark jeans. In fact, the dress shirt looked so effeminate, he was certain it had to be a woman’s blouse. 

It was an attire that Danny Chapman thought was too casual, too peculiar for his event. Surely a person dressed like this wouldn’t attend his opening ceremony. 

He continued to stay focused on his speech as the strange man waded through the crowd. And then the stranger tilted his black hat back to make eye contact. He had the sharpest and coldest blue eyes Danny had ever seen.

His lips twisted into an ominous and cruel smile. 

Danny reflexively curled his fingers into a ball as the man stood there staring. 

“Pssst! Danny! What are you doing?” 

Danny snapped out of his daze upon hearing his PR assistant’s urgent voice in his earpiece. 

“Snap out of it! People are wondering what’s up!”

Danny glanced to the side to clear his mind, and then looked back at the stranger, who now had a fucking shotgun aimed at him. 

“What the fuck?!” Danny shouted, stepping away from the crowd. “Somebody stop him!” 

He pointed a finger at the advancing man. “STOP HIM! He has a GUN! He’s going to shoot me!” 

The room broke out into hushed confused whispers as everyone looked around and at each other for the suspect. There was no one with a gun. 

Neil pulled the trigger. 

Danny screamed in pain as the bullet hit him in the chest. He dropped to his knees, clutching his fresh wound. He desperately scrambled to stand up after remembering the man with the gun was still here. 

Neil now had his shotgun propping him up as he watched the scene unfold with amusement. He took off his funeral hat and tilted his head. 

Danny frantically checked his chest for a bullet hole. Nothing. There was no blood, no hole. How in the world was he not injured? He knew he heard the gunshot and he was certain he felt the hit. 

That damn crazy fool. Danny glared at the stranger.

“You!” he hissed, pointing his finger at Neil. “You piece of shit!” 

Neil quirked a brow. 

A woman's voice brushed past Danny’s right ear out of nowhere. “I believe _you_ are the piece of shit, Danny Chapman.” 

Frightened and confused, Danny looked to his right. Nothing. No one was there. 

“Over here, Danny.” 

He looked to the left. There stood the policewoman he ordered to be killed. 

“I’ve come for you, just as justice will come for you, no matter how many times you shoot people in the head and drown them.” 

Neil watched the policewoman move closer to Danny, who staggered back and shouted for mercy. 

“Forgive me! Please don’t kill me!” Danny begged. 

“Reveal the truth, Danny. You have been stealing and funneling money to…” 

With his work done now, Neil put his funeral hat back on, and placed his shotgun over his shoulder. As he neared the exit, the press’s cameras started flickering to life. 

“This is just the beginning of your downfall, Danny Chapman,” Neil said with a touch of finality. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who’s seen Hotel del Luna, i really wanted to put Neil in Man-Wol’s purple dress xD  
> but i wanted to keep Neil in charachter-ish lol... hence the silky purple top :P


	2. Evening Primrose

“What’s up with Aaron today?” Dan asks as she slowly spins her Exy stick and fixes the netting. “He’s not doing so hot.” 

The foxes had just decided to take a break from practice after Aaron and Seth got into a brawl. Technically, it wasn’t a group decision. Wymack called for a break to separate certain foxes from spitting accusations against one another. 

No one is sure what spurred the fight. Aaron and Seth, as expected, blame each other.

Kevin is sitting on the court with diagrams spread all around him. He tells Dan, “Don't ask me. I don’t know why these people are the way they are.”

On second thought, Kevin thinks, maybe they’re the way they are because they’re foxes. 

Rowdy. Rejects. Unrefined. 

But he would polish them and turn them into an Exy team good enough to play against the Ravens. 

His lips press into a hard line as he scrutinizes the game plans he organized. He sure hoped the foxes could take them to the championships. 

“Oh Aaron’s like this all the time,” Alison states, matter of fact. She sits on the bench with a leg crossed over the other and runs her fingers through her blonde ponytail. 

“I don’t know how you can even live with them,” Alison says, checking her nails now. She keeps her nails short to have better grip in games, and of course to prevent freak accidents. She wouldn’t want to accidentally stab a player nor have her nail chipped or bent backwards during harsh collisions. 

Kevin doesn’t respond. The seniors have asked him these redundant questions before and he doesn’t feel the need to waste energy on things he can’t change. “Why don’t you focus on better things? Come look at these moves Wymack and I arranged for you.” 

“Ugh, no. You need to learn what a break means.” She walks off to find Seth. 

Dan, suddenly feeling bad for Kevin, even though he’s often a douchebag, takes a seat beside him to look at the plans. “So what were you and Coach thinking of implementing?” 

Kevin settles for Dan, figuring it would be wise to inform the foxes’ captain.

~*~

“I fucking hate Seth. He can rot and die in a hole for all I care,” Aaron seethes as he kicks a pole. 

After Wymack broke up the fight, Nicky dragged Aaron outside to cool off. He was hoping Andrew would return from his session with Bee any moment now. 

“Don’t punch the pole,” Nicky warns. “I know you’re mad but it’s not worth fracturing your hand over.” 

“You’re starting to sound like fucking Kevin.” Aaron glares at Nicky. 

“Oh my god, Aaron. This is not about Exy,” Nicky says, growing irritated. “I’m concerned about you and your safety.” 

“Fuck off. I don’t need your concern.” 

Nicky rolls his eyes and holds his hands up in surrender. “Don’t get pissy with me now. If you break your hand, I’ll just tell Andrew you ignored my words. At least I tried.” 

For a split second, Aaron hesitates. Then smashes the pole with his feet again. 

Nicky sighs. At least he didn’t punch the pole. Hopefully Aaron’s feet would hold up. 

“Kevin said Seth got you good.” 

Nicky and Aaron spin around to see Andrew walking toward them. His face is expressionless. His hands are in the pockets of his black jeans. Nicky wonders if Andrew used his blades on Seth upon hearing the news. 

Annoyed, Aaron turns away from Andrew. “He had a good start on me.” 

Andrew shrugs. “And he’s bulkier than you.”

“And taller, definitely taller, with longer limbs,” Nicky quips. 

“Shut the fuck up, Nicky,” Aaron snaps, kicking the pole again. 

“You should have gone for his knees and his left rib cage,” Andrew suggests. He taps a finger on the pointy tip of his blade, slowly twirling the blade in his hand, as if he’s contemplating skinning Seth. “Aim for the knees to throw him off. Left rib cage is one blind spot.” 

Nicky blinks, losing any expression he had on his face. He couldn’t understand how or when Andrew figured out how to fight Seth. 

Nicky knew that it was best to not say anything in situations like this. He quietly watched Andrew inspect Aaron’s face. 

“Looks like you might bruise here,” Andrew says, eyeing the side of his brother’s jaw. “Always block your face when you fight.” 

Aaron simply nods. He’s annoyed that Andrew’s telling him what to do, but he knows better than to tell Andrew to fuck off. Instead, he passive aggressively goes after Andrew. “Renee’s sessions are helping huh.”

Andrew makes no reaction and merely states, “Juvie teaches you a few things.” 

He walks away and stops to look over his shoulder. “Oh right. I remember why I came out now. Coach said come back in 20. Any second later and you’ll be doing 30 laps around the court with push ups.” 

Confused, Nicky tilts his head. “Huh. I thought he came out here to check on you.”

Aaron stares at Andrew’s retreating figure. “Who the fuck knows anything about Andrew. He does whatever he wants.”

~*~

“The evening primrose flowers are exquisite this year,” Stuart says. He kneels down to get a better look at the yellow flower and touches a petal with a gentle finger.

Neil looks around the massive garden. “Since when did this garden get so huge?” 

“Since I started taking care of it.” 

Neil sighs. “There’s really no need for one this huge.”

Stuart smiles, accenting the wrinkles on aging his face. “This is one of the hotel’s most frequented locations, Neil. Our guests praise it very often.” 

“I guess I am glad we have it.” 

“Please take care of it.”

Neil stares at Stuart’s grey and white hair so intensely, he could start a fire. “Who would take care of it? The new hotel manager who would be in training? I doubt he will have time to garden.” 

Stuart laughs fondly. “Do not underestimate humans, Neil.” 

Neil feels like he’s being scolded by his grandfather. Then again, how would he know how that felt since he never met his. 

~*~

Aaron slams his locker shut. 

Exy practice was a chore for him today. He considered ditching practice and would have gone to the library if it weren’t for Andrew’s orders. 

‘ _Go to your classes. You’ll have lunch with Nicky and I. Do not hang out with anyone. Go to practice. I’ll drive us back to the Tower afterwards. No going out tonight.’_

Aaron swings his bag at his locker. It was his mom’s fault his birthday was now fucked up. She had sworn him off to some drug pimp in exchange for continuous supply of heroin and a bunch of other hard drugs. 

November 4 became a curse that he had to bear alone. Only Andrew and Nicky knows about the yellow evening primrose flowers he receives every birthday. 

Aaron exits the empty locker room. When he reaches the middle of the hallway, he meets Abby, who falls into a perfect synchronized walk with him all the way to the den. 

“Hey Aaron.” 

Aaron doesn’t look at her. He fixates himself with his bag’s shoulder strap, readjusting its length. “What?”

“Make sure to ice your jaw and wherever Seth hit you, ok?” 

He wouldn’t let anyone touch him nor take a look at his injuries. Except Andrew. 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Oh and happy birthday from Wymack and I. I talked to Seth too. He was wrong to poke fun at your birthday. No one has to like or do anything for birthdays.” 

Aaron’s anger sparks again. He’d love to punch Seth, who knows fucking nothing, in the mouth. “Seth can go eat shit cuz that’s what he is.” 

Abby smiles a little at the response. It’s definitely not a charming statement, but she’s grown a soft spot for Aaron. She’s certainly become more familiar with his communication style given the numerous holidays Aaron, Andrew, and Nicky spent at her house.

One of her fondest memories was Aaron struggling to ask to try some of the fresh cookies she baked during Thanksgiving last year. It was a bashful side of him she hadn’t seen before. He liked the cookies so much, she gave him a bunch to take home. 

The moment Abby and Aaron enter the den, Aaron heads straight to Andrew and Nicky. 

Abby finds Andrew more difficult to read and interact with since he doesn’t express much besides very clearly showing that he doesn’t wish to engage. She watches Andrew lead the boys out first.

“See ya tomorrow, Coach!” Nicky hollers, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Stay out of trouble!” Kevin yells back. He’s somewhere inside Wymack’s office, most likely discussing more strategy. 

Shaking her head, Abby cracks a smile and thinks it should be David saying that.

“As long as I don’t hear about it!” Wymack tacks on. 

Yep, sounds like David, she thinks. 

“Oh we promise, Coach!” Nicky’s faint shout follows. 

There’s a loud thud as the den’s door shuts. Wymack and Kevin’s voices resonate in the office as they debate. Abby grabs her purse on the TV table and knocks on the office door. “Alright, boys, time to call it a night.”

“But-” 

“There’ll be more Exy tomorrow, Kevin. Go on home. Wymack’s got things to do.” She gives Wymack a pointed stare. 

“Shoot. I forgot.” Wymack apologetically rubs the back of his neck. 

Kevin stares at the two suspiciously, narrowing his eyes as he tries to figure them out. “Fine. I’ll go back to the dorms.” 

“Don’t forget to print out the diagrams I sent you!” Kevin insists one last time. “We’ll continue where we left off tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Wymack mutters, half-heartedly waving him goodbye. 

“I’ll remind him,” Abby assures, watching a disappointed Kevin sulk on his way out. After he’s gone for sure, she turns to Wymack and quirks a brow. “So. Where are we going for our dinner date?” 

Wymack slips on his jacket. “It’s a secret.” 

Abby just contemplatively hums. “I can't wait to see what you have planned.” 

~*~

The Monsters step out of the elevator and head down the hallway. After passing one of the Tower’s common room, they make a left turn into a new hallway. Their suite is the last room to the right.

Nicky unlocks the door. “So, today has been pretty good. Nothing weird.” 

Holding the door open, he optimistically smiles at the twins as they enter. “Don’t you think so?” 

Aaron glares at nothing in particular and then grimaces. “That person never misses my birthday. What makes you think he will this year?” 

“The day’s not over yet,” Andrew adds, strolling into the living room. He scans the area for any signs of tampering. 

He calmly checks the kitchen, ready to whip out his blades. He’s never met the person Tilda sold Aaron to. Even worse, Aaron doesn’t know anything about the drug pimp and Tilda never told him anything useful, so Andrew really has nothing to work with. 

All he has is precaution and his blades. 

“What the fuck?”

“Um, Andrew? You should come in here,” Nicky calls out. 

Andrew hurries to Aaron and Nicky’s bedroom. There’s the annual evening primrose flowers sitting on Aaron’s desk with an envelope. Aaron’s about to grab the flowers and chuck them in the trash when Andrew instructs, “Do not touch it.” 

Eyes wide, Aaron looks at his twin. “I can’t stay here. I need to leave.” 

Nicky looks back and forth between the two as they break out into a German conversation, an attempt to create privacy in case someone is somehow listening. 

“I told you I should have left the country this year!” Aaron says, his voice rising. Hysteria is getting the best of him. His chest begins to feel tight and constricted. “This could have been avoided.” 

Nicky steps closer to him, reaching out to wrap a comforting arm around him. 

Aaron shoves him away. “Get out of my way!” 

He grabs his travel bag in the closet, starts opening and closing his drawers as he stuffs his clothes into the bag. 

“You’re really going to Germany?” Nicky incredulously asks in German. Erik wouldn’t be opposed to letting Aaron stay with him despite the sudden notice. However, Nicky figured Aaron’s best bet would be to stay with Andrew who can actually defend him. “What about school? You’re graduating soon.” 

Nicky really wanted to say _‘what about Katelyn?’_ but he didn't want to spill the beans in front of Andrew. 

“I don’t fucking care. I’ll stay another year if I need to.” 

“Drop the bag,” Andrew orders.

Aaron stops mid-motion to look at Andrew. His face is fearful and full of panic while Andrew’s is starkly dark. 

“Now,” Andrew says. 

Aaron swallows the lump of fear in his throat, paranoia heavy on his tense shoulders. He lets out a shaky, stressed breath and lets go of his bag. 

Andrew closes the distance and stands before Aaron face to face. He looks into those familiar hazel eyes. “I told you I would protect you.”

Aaron’s jaw tightens as the fear crawls back up his throat. He doesn’t know if Andrew can protect him from someone who nearly killed their mother. 

“I…” Aaron chokes up as he recalls the day he came home from grade school. His mom was lying on the carpet floor. Her entire body trembled. Her clammy hands were shaking in his tiny frightened ones. 

He remembers how disconnected she was, a lot more disconnected than she usually was. He no longer existed when she overdosed and, to him, it felt like she was no longer existing as well. Somehow he managed to call 911 amidst his confusion and fear. 

Andrew’s firm voice cuts into Aaron’s closed off world. “You are not going anywhere, Aaron.” 

“...I don’t know.” Aaron doesn’t remember how he got to his bed but now he is sitting on it. Nicky’s sitting next to him, not too close but enough to ground him in reality. 

“Hey,” Nicky softly says. “We got you. Andrew and I won't let anyone take you.” 

Andrew walks to the desk and picks up the envelope. This is the first envelope sent. Normally, it’s just flowers. 

The sudden sound of the envelope ripping open catches Aaron’s attention. He watches Andrew’s blade under the flap slide across the envelope’s back. Andrew takes out a red card. 

In fancy gold cursive, the front says ‘ _Happy Dearest 20th Birthday’_. 

Andrew opens the card only to see it say: _‘We hope to see you at Hotel de Noir soon. Take Catbus Red Route, board at West Sikes Hall bus stop.”_

Andrew crushes the card in his hand, alarming Nicky and Aaron who both ask what’s inside the card. 

Before he can say anything, Kevin unexpectedly demands, “What the heck happened here?”

He’s standing by the door to Aaron and Nicky’s bedroom with his Exy bag strung on a shoulder. “Why does it look like you guys just got ransacked?” 

There’s clothes thrown about the floor, an open bag jammed with clothes, a chair shoved to the side, and a shaken up Aaron who’s now glaring at him. 

“Go to your room, Kevin.” Andrew doesn’t even look at him. 

Kevin’s about to protest when Nicky jumps in. “Just do as he says.” 

Kevin shuts his mouth and gives them one last look over his shoulder as he leaves. He swears to himself he knows what’s going on. It looked like someone trying to flee. A feeling he knows all too well. 

He wonders what made Aaron need to flee so badly. 

Meanwhile, in Aaron’s room, Andrew shreds the card into pieces. He grabs the pot of yellow flowers and, in German, tells Nicky to stay with Aaron at all times. Looking Aaron dead in the eye, he instructs again, “You will not leave Nicky’s side until I come back, understood?”

Aaron silently nods. 

Nicky’s about to ask where Andrew’s going but judging by the gravely dark look on his face, he knows Andrew’s hunting down the person. 

~*~

Andrew weaves his way through the small campus roads after pulling out of the Tower’s parking lot. He cruises down Calhoun Drive and parks in a half empty lot between the Bracket Hall building and Carillon Garden. 

It’s getting darker earlier nowadays. 

The sun’s setting as Andrew steps out of his car with the little pot of flowers in his arm. He makes his way around the garden and crosses Parkway Drive. Then he cuts through another campus parking lot and facility to cross Old Greenville. 

Finally at the West Sikes Hall bus stop, Andrew checks his armbands. His blades are cold under his touch. The flowers, now on the bench, sway a little in the evening breeze. It’s a little hard to see them in the dark since the sun completely set by now. 

The streetlight in his area repeatedly stays on for a little and then abruptly dies out. Passing car headlights temporarily light up his stop. Soon enough, the bus rolls to a halt before him. Andrew displays his student ID to the driver and finds a seat in the nearly empty bus. 

Sitting in the back of the bus is a young man with auburn hair and blue eyes. He looks away from the window to stare at the evening primroses in Andrew’s possession. 

Noticing the stranger’s stare, Andrew moves toward him. 

“Did you send me these?”

“Not for you,” the man answers, seeing right through Andrew.

Alert, Andrew slams the pot against the guy’s chest, crushing it to his ribs. “Don’t ever come near him again.” 

Neil tilts his head, unfazed by the pot’s rim harshly pressed against him. He ponders over something as he scrutinizes Andrew’s face. Snapping his fingers, he says, “Ohhh, I see. You two must be twins.” 

Andrew’s face darkens at the creep. “Go anywhere near him and I’ll kill you.” 

Neil suddenly feels something cold and sharp pressed against his stomach. He looks at Andrew’s cold eyes. “Well this is an unexpected turn of events.” 

“I _will_ kill you.” 

“Do it,” Neil says. In a split second, he grabs Andrew’s hand and rams the blade into his stomach. 

Andrew’s taken aback by the unexpected suicidal move. Neil slumps forward a little. Andrew tosses the pot to a nearby seat and pulls his blade out. Neil doubles over, coughing for a bit. Then he’s sitting up straight again, dusting the soil off his coat as if he never got stabbed. “Man, it’s been a while since I’ve been stabbed.” 

He sighs at the little specks of dirt stuck in the crooks of his knitted sweater. “Alice is gonna kill me for getting this sweater dirty.” 

Andrew pins Neil against the seat, placing the blade against Neil’s throat. 

“What are you?” Andrew demands. 

“That’s not really your business.” 

Andrew threatens him. “I’ll slit your throat.” He presses the blade into Neil’s skin. 

“Do it.” 

And so Andrew does. 

Neil falls onto his side, awkwardly rolling off the seat and falling onto the floor from the rough way Andrew tore his blade out of Neil’s throat. 

More coughing ensues. Neil gets up again and stretches his neck. There’s no blood, no scarring, no wound- nothing. 

Neil’s about to say something when Andrew unexpectedly stabs him in the shoulder. He rips his blade back to inspect Neil’s shoulder. 

Neil shoves him away. “Hey you psycho! You can’t just go around stabbing people whenever you want.” 

“You let me.” 

“I sure did not,” Neil argues. “I said you could slit my throat, not stab my shoulder!” 

Andrew disregards him. “Who are you?” 

Neil bumps shoulders with Andrew as he walks away from the now messy back of the bus to the middle.

“Like I said before, unnecessary question.” He seats himself and points at Andrew. “The real question is, _who are you?_ ” 

Andrew follows suit and sits across from Neil. “You’re the one who keeps sending the flowers?” 

“I actually wanted to send a decapitated canary.” 

Andrew stares at the freak. “Stay the fuck away from Aaron.” 

Completely ignoring Andrew’s remark, Neil sighs in lament and waves his hand in the air. “But anyway, I was advised to send flowers as they are more agreeable to humans.” 

“Agreeable is not how you came off. Creepy is more like it.” 

Neil feigns a sweet smile. “Yes, well, your mother Tilda Minyard creeped into my hotel and tried to steal from me. I’m sure humans don’t find theft agreeable or do they nowadays?” 

Andrew tightens his grip on his blade’s handle at the mention of his mother’s name. “Tilda Minyard, you say.” 

“Yes, her,” Neil confirms. “I kept my side of the bargain and now I’m here to collect what’s mine.” 

“Yours?” Andrew repeats. His anger starts to boil. “Aaron is _not_ yours.”

Neil stares at Andrew in confusion. “I don’t recall him belonging to anyone else at the time.”

“You do not touch what is mine.” 

“Ah, I see,” Neil says, understanding Andrew now. “How about we make an exchange, hmm?”

Andrew knows his and Aaron’s chances of escaping this creepy creature is very slim, if none. “What do you want?” 

Neil leans forward. “No, no. What do _you_ want?” 

“Let go of Aaron.” 

Neil nods thoughtfully. “I will consider that. What will you give me in return?” 

“I will be his replacement.” 

Neil leans back in his seat, eyeing Andrew. “Hmmm. What can you offer me? Last time I checked, your brother was fairly intelligent.” 

Andrew didn’t want to get distracted with how and when this stranger verified Aaron’s intelligence but he was very tempted to ask. Remembering that this man was a drug pimp, Andrew replies, “Good memory and fighting are two of many things I can offer. You won’t need to defend me in fights.” 

Neil laughs and then gravely looks at Andrew. The passing streetlights and trees outside cast a flittering shadow on Neil’s face, making him look even more eerie. “Rule number one: a human cannot win against a vengeful ghost in a fight. Always remember this.” 

“What are you called?” Andrew asks, needing to know what or who this man is. 

“Neil.” Neil walks over to Andrew. “I’m looking for a replacement for my hotel manager. Would you like to work for me?” 

Andrew flatly responds, “Not interested.” 

“Then I’ll take Aaron as planned.” Neil heads back to his seat. 

“You are _not_ taking Aaron.” 

Neil crosses his legs and sighs. “Make up your mind then.” 

“I’ll come with you.” 

Neil grins. “Perfect. Now get off my bus.” 

Andrew glares death daggers at Neil. As he gets off the bus, he hears Neil ask him for his name. 

“Andrew Minyard.” 

“We shall see each other soon. Send Aaron my regards, will you?” 

Andrew flips him off and steps onto the road. He’s back at West Sikes Hall again. This time, there’s not a single car in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always imagined Abby  
> is somewhat a mother figure to Aaron. 
> 
> Also tried to incorporate some actual roads and bus route around Clemson Uni into this chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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